Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer

While DeSean Jackson's absence is obvious -- news flash: He wants a new contract -- the other starting wide receiver has been in camp for five days now and has yet to practice. Maclin has an illness -- or did have one -- according to the Eagles, but they aren't providing details because all of his medical testing has yet to be evaluated.

The delay in indentifying his illness may have led to Internet rumors that he is battling some form of a career-threatening disease. During a brief chat before he went inside the training facility at Lehigh University Maclin addressed those rumors.

Maclin added that he is getting better and that he intends to be back before the start of the season. It's difficult to imagine the Eagles bringing Maclin to camp if he wasn't on the mend. Maclin does look noticeably thinner. In April, he said that he lost 15 pounds the month before after enduring "mono-like" symptoms. By the next month, he appeared to have gained back all of the lost weight.

When players were to report to camp on July 27, though, Eagles coach Andy Reid said Maclin was on an excused absence. Later he revealed that Maclin wasn't at camp because of an illness. The Eagles' 2009 No. 1 draft pick arrived, however, on Aug. 2.

Thus far, he's only participated in light conditioning drills with the Eagles' other injured players. With Maclin sidelined and Jackson still holding out, the Eagles have relied on Jason Avant, Riley Cooper and Chad Hall as their top three receivers in camp.

Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was asked how long Maclin or Jackson could miss of camp and the preseason for them not to be ready by the season opener on Sept. 11.

"In general, for a veteran player there comes a time ... that he needs to work for the good of the team -- the timing part -- and for the good of himself," Mornhinweg said. "So there will come a time where it will become important."

Jackson could be in camp by Tuesday if he doesn't want to lose a vested year toward free agency.

Here's some other Eagles' injury news:

-- Safety Nate Allen sat out Saturday morning's practice with a knee injury. The team would not say which knee he had injured or the severity of the injury. Allen ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee last December and had been practicing full-go for the most part until this setback.

-- The Eagles had no update on defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who suffered a seizure during Wednesday's practice. Patterson was released from Lehigh Valley Hospital on Friday and is still undergoing testing.

-- Tackle Winston Justice (knee) and defensive end Brandon Graham (knee) remain on the Physically Unable to Perform List and are still rehabbing their injuries.